Excerpt from The Megalithic Culture of Indonesia IN 191 I the stream of ethnological research was directed by Dr. Rivers into new channels. In his Presidential Address to the Anthropological Section of the British Association at Portsmouth he expounded some of the effects of the contact of diverse cul tures in Oceania in producing new, and modifying pre-existent institutions, and thereby opened up novel and hitherto unknown fields of research, and brought into prominence once again those investigations into movements of culture which had so long been neglected. A student who wishes to study problems of culture mixture and transmission is faced with a variety of choice of themes and of regions to investigate. He can set out to examine topics of greater or less scope in circumscribed areas, or he can under take world-wide investigations which embrace peoples of all ages and civilisations. These two modes of research are complement ary: for extended inquiries give clues to difficulties encountered in limited regions; and detailed investigations in one area often suggest others of the widest scope. In this book I have con fined myself to the region which has been my special object of study for some years, and in the Introduction I have stated the reasons why the subject treated is that of the Megalithic Culture. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

An exploration of Indonesian megaliths based on scientific documents and field visits, this work highlights misunderstood—and sometimes threatened by destruction—aspects of Indonesian cultural heritage and offers a unique perspective on megalithic monuments abandoned for several centuries in the archipelago.

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Indonesia comprises more than 17,000 islands stretching on either side of the equator for nearly 4,000 miles and hundreds of ethnic groups with almost 300 languages spoken. This book reveals the remarkable social, religious, and geographical differences that exist from island to island. Because of such variety, Indonesia defies simple categorizations. Europeans have produced most of the written histories of this region, although Indonesians have contributed much. Culture and Customs of Indonesia reveals something of local people's ideas of their identities and pasts as well. Indonesian cultures covered include those of forest-dwelling hunters, rice growers, fisherfolk, village artisans, urban office and factory workers, intellectuals, artists, wealthy industrialists, street vendors, and homeless people. Readers will learn about the amazing range of belief systems, material culture, and arts that enliven Indonesia. Forshee describes the majestic temples, complex poetry and literature, lavish theatrical performances, and splendid visual arts and more that have distinguished Indonesia for centuries and continue into the present. Indonesians are shown to be constantly reinterpreting and refining their cultures in the modern world.